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Welcome to Scottish Genealogy Tips And Tidbits

A wee bit of info to help you in your journey to discover your Scottish Ancestors and maybe even crack a brick wall or two!

Saturday, 21 January 2017

Going to RootsTech? Lace Up Those Boots!

In just over two weeks, the largest Family History
Conference, RootsTech, will be taking place. And let me tell you, it will be a
whirlwind!

If you are planning to go to RootsTech, Lace up those boots,
get ready to hit the Salt Palace at full tilt and enjoy everything that the
conference has to offer. It is an amazing time of learning, buying,
researching, buying, networking, buying, researching, sharing and enjoying 4
days immersed in all things genealogy.

Pack you chargers, pack your bank card and most importantly,
pack your stamina. Here's the line up of what the week will look like:

Tuesday:

The Conference begins with the Innovator Showdown. Ten semi-finalists are competing for top prize. These ten innovators who have
worked hard to support, foster and inspire the family history industry will be
introduced to the media and to the ambassadors at the Media dinner on Tuesday
night. The winners will be announced before a live audience on Friday at 10:30.

If you are going to RootsTech, make sure to wander along
Innovation Alley to visit all of the semi-finalists and learn about their
offerings to make your family history research easier and more productive.

Wednesday:

Wednesday morning is dedicated to current innovators and to
future innovators. Classes and labs are on offer including one on the current
and future trends in Family History. Genealogy sessions and labs are offered
starting on Wednesday afternoon, including my session on Underused Databases
for Scottish Research.

But RootsTech doesn't end when the Salt Palace closes at the
end of the day! On Wednesday evening, there is the 80s themed Welcome Party to
come attend at the Marriott. These evening activities allow for fun and
friendship with others who are attending the conference.

Thursday:

Things really start to pick up on Thursday. FamilySearch CEO,
Steve Rockwood, will start off the day, followed by Keynote Speakers Drew and
Jonathan Scott of the Property Brothers. After the opening General Session, the
Expo Hall opens. This is where the need to strap your laces comes in. The Salt
Palace is HUGE. HUGE. There will be a lot of walking and the need for time
management in order for attendees to get from the classes to the Expo Hall then
back to classes and back to the Expo Hall. In addition to vendors and exhibitors,
the Expo Hall is a place to catch some free wifi, grab some nourishment, see what is new or improved at the Demo Stage, seek help or advice at either the Coaches
Corner or at the Heirloom Show
and Tell. Come see what's new along Innovator
Alley and watch history come to life at the Discovery Zone.

Genealogist Tami Osmer Mize has once again put together an incredibly
useful map of the Expo Hall to allow you a visual of who you want to see
and where you can find them.

Friday:

Friday is a replica of Thursday with a change of players for
the morning's General Session. Here we will get to hear from genealogist and tv personality Kenyatta Berry (Genealogy Road Show) followed by LeVar Burton.

Saturday:

The conference culminates on Saturday with Family Discovery
Day. This morning's General Session speakers are CeCe Moore and none other than
Buddy Valastro. The Expo Hall gets a whole lot busier when LDS families and
youth descend to learn as much as they can about family history.

The entire week will fly by. The memories,
however, will last forever. You will come away inspired, energized, feeling
more connected and more determined to work on your family history. The
exhaustion will subside in a few days. The connections will
be enduring.

About Me

Scottish born, Canadian raised, Christine Woodcock had the
best of both worlds, growing up immersed in Scottish culture. Realising that
others of the Scots diaspora were not as fortunate, she started her business,
Genealogy Tours of Scotland (https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/)
to allow others researching their Scottish roots the opportunity to return to
the land of their ancestors, conduct family history research and deepen their
sense of belonging to their ancestral kin.